Tote and Tee

My amazingly talent dear friend Traci of Leeziebee Graphics just made these cool graphics for me. She rocks! Thanks T!

Yep, I am out there on Facebook and on Twitter, if you aren’t following me yet…go ahead…I give you permission;)

Not sure how interesting I am, but you just never know!!

I can’t believe we are starting the 4th week of school today! (yes, we start REALLY early here!)

As I said before, I am in love with doing all things “mom” and one of those things is being a Lunch Packer.  We do keep the school menu on the fridge and every morning I announce what they are serving.  They end up picking the cafeteria, maybe once a week (usually pizza day!) and the rest of the week, I pack.

I have done a variety of things including pasta, different sandwiches, yummy bagels and a fave…Lunchables!  When I got the email from Mom Central asking if I would review the new Oscar Mayer Lunchables Lunch Combinations, I jumped on it.  We are big fans of Lunchables.  It’s easy for me to pack which gets a big thumbs up. I could pack the SAME thing in a mom made version and get no comments but that yellow Lunchables box gets them so excited, they love Lunchables!

Most days I like to pack a little this and that and I usually save the Lunchables for a day when I am in a hurry.  Just grab it and go.  Previously, I would buy the smaller Lunchables and usually have to add a drink and one more food item to the mix.  But with the new Lunch Combinations, it’s ALL in one. Like seriously takes 10 seconds to pop it in the lunch bag! Love that!

I had my 10 year old try it out, she did a little squeal when she saw it because “that’s the one with the water and the drink packet”…I guess they were the talk of the lunch table before.

(fits perfectly in the lunch bag!)

We got the Ham & American Sub Sandwich Lunch Combination.  It comes with a whole grain bread, lean ham, Kraft 2%  American cheese, Sugar Free Jello-O, Chips Ahoy! cookies (yum!), a bottle of water and Tropical Punch Kool-Aid singles.

She loved her lunch and wants me to get more! Sounds like a success to me!

Super easy peasy lunch for mom to pack + Happy kid = A+ for Lunchables!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central on behalf of Oscar Mayer Lunchables and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I am really enjoying this mom gig.  I am such a sap but at least once a day I realize how lucky I am to have such a great family and best of all, I get to be home everyday and be with them. This is my dream job.  Planning meals, cutting coupons, grocery shopping, cooking, packing lunches, taking my girls to school, actually getting out of the car and walking them in…every single day, picking them up…every day, helping with homework, going to PTA meetings, being a Girl Scout leader..times 2, back to school night, crafting time, reading to them, tucking them in…I love every bit of it.  (of course everything isn’t perfect, we all get grouchy, I get naggy but I am a glass half full gal and I will keep it that way!)

I took pics yesterday of some of my new tees, Abby is showing one and April has on the new tween/teen version…but I will have to show a peek of that later;)

My BFF Heather is in town house hunting and I have the kids for the afternoon.  They have a wide range of likes and dislikes so I just threw together a lunch buffet…kid style.  Corn Dogs, PB & J triangles, Chicken Nuggets, Pizza Rolls, Chex Mix, Applesauce and String Cheese. Yum!

1. Today is my 33rd birthday!

2. It’s the 1st day of school!

3.  My sweet husband had to leave today on a business trip but he still made me feel special for my bday:)

4. He gave me a load of lottery tickets (won $18 so far!) and a certificate for a pedicure…woohoo!

5. Happy that I got fun musical cards from the girls

6. Even happier that one of them was an Anniversary card

7. And the other said something about me being old.

8. Because no matter what card they picked out…it would be my favorite!

9. Not thrilled Alex had to leave today but so happy he has a job and I am able to stay home with our girls.

10. We all woke up in plenty of time to get ready and not be rushed today (crossing my fingers for lots more days like that!)

11. And of course that means Mom gets to take lots of 1st day of school pictures!

12. Happy for a picture with my girls…

13. And one with my hubby and the girls…

14. For this sweet girl that’s in 5th grade now, making this the 8th year (including preschool) that I have taken her to her 1st day of school.

15.  Happy she ditched me the moment we went near the school gate because that means she is confident, excited for school and independent.  (…thinking of the positives here!!)

16.  Extra happy that her goal for the year is to get straight A’s.

17.  And happy about this little peanut that is now in 1st grade.  (when did that happen???)

18. Happy for her that her little love interest is in her class…even though she almost choked on her Jolly Rancher when she found out.

19. And that when I took her to her class she was still a little bit shy but sat down in her chair and didn’t come running after me multiple times like she did last year.

20.  Happy the girls go to a great school.

21. And that Abby got a “fashionable” teacher…because she loves to notice things on pretty teachers like how pretty they dress and how they do their hair and make-up. (secretly afraid of what she might say if she has an “unfashionable” teacher! haha…yes these are conversations we have!)

22.  Happy that even though Abby was mostly faking the “I love my sister so much look” that she still makes it look like it so  10 years from now I will get all warm inside when I see this picture…

23. Happy that my mom is driving 4 hours to hang out with me for a few days!

24.  And for all the phone calls and text messages from my friends and families.

25.  And the oodles of birthday wishes from all my wonderful friends on Facebook! (Really loving this!)

26. Happy that I have 7 hours of ME time – 5 days a week – starting today!

27.  Oddly enough, happy to spend 90 minutes taking my time in the grocery store by myself today

28. And saving 90 dollars on my bill!

29.  Oh, happy that my neighbor called and invited me to a birthday lunch!

30.  I turned her down because I was going to pick up the house a bit before my mom got here…but  happy that I decided to write this instead because it’s my birthday and my mom loves me even if my house needs vacuuming.

31. Happy that the phrases “I heart Chocolate Creme Pie” and “Death by Chocolate” are on my menu plan for this evening.

32.  And happy that I found the “light” version of  “Death by Chocolate” because…well…I guess just because it makes me giggle.

33.  And happy that I could easily think of 33 things to be happy about!

This is our 3rd summer in Phoenix and it is H-O-T.  Like hotter than hot.  The best way to play outside is in a pool and even some days it’s too hot to swim! Yep, that’s hot.  Last year we took the plunge, spent $200 and bought an above ground pool.  Best money spent! Seriously, that thing has been through I don’t know how many 100+ days, oodles of kids and lots of chillaxing adults.

The girls went for a swim last night after dinner because it was one of those too hot to swim during the day kind of days.  (not that after dinner was much cooler…it doesn’t cool off in the evenings like it does in California!)  They were being so cute so I ran inside grabbed my camera to get some pictures.  Seriously, in like 30 seconds they went from happy as can be to this…

Yes, one happy kid…other kid…not so happy! April probably accidentally kicked Abby as she was swimming around or something else equally as serious;) Here is a shot from happier times…yes, all 5 friends happy at once! Woohoo!

When I grow up, I want to have a big ol’ fancy pool but until then…this $200 beauty will do! (Did I mention this is the 2nd year using it…so really it can be a $100 a summer pool….)

Just spent the evening sprucing up the ol’ blog here and I am much happier now! It was so…yawn…before! Ugh, glad I took the time to change it up a bit because now I feel all better…whew!

I decided to make this my new home for blogging. I had, let’s see…3 blogs total and Facebook and I just got overwhelmed and quit updating all of them. (well…except Facebook because I am totally addicted to it!) Now that this place is pretty (or at least pleasing to me!) I will do all my updates here. A little Tote and Tee action, my own crafty shares, family pics and well anything else that I pull out of my sleeve.

All posts need a pic, right? My baby girl turned 6 this month!

Check out the Tote and Tee Facebook Fan page.  It’s a fun way to connect with other “fans” and share info and pictures.  (sounds so funny to say I have fans! Anyone want my autograph? Just kidding…)

As the page grows, I plan to use it to do giveaways and special promotions.  It’s so easy to use!

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